Ohlone 50K Wilderness Runners Receive MedicAlert® Shoe Tag to Ensure Health Information is Available in Time of Need

Race officials protect runners during race and training events.

I think the MedicAlert shoe tag is even more important during training runs when fewer people are around.

Turlock, CA (PRWEB) May 16, 2013

To protect their runners, race officials for the Ohlone 50K Wilderness Run are providing a MedicAlert ID shoe tag to all of their 2013 registrants. The race, which takes place May 19th, begins in Fremont, California and traverses the entire Ohlone Wilderness Trail, a tough 31 mile distance among trails and fire roads which ends in Livermore, California. The shoe tags are connected to MedicAlert Foundation’s 24/7 emergency response service which provides vital health and personal information during times of need, and will aid the race’s emergency team in providing quick, effective treatment for its runners. The shoe tags are also being provided to runners as additional protection during training events.

Last year, the race did experience an emergency situation when a runner collapsed and fell unconscious. Race officials struggled to obtain information about the runner which slowed the treatment process. “If our runner had a MedicAlert shoe tag, it would have given the emergency team information about the runner’s emergency contact, as well as any medical information including allergies,” said Larry England, Race Director for the Ohlone 50K Wilderness Run. As a result of last year’s incident, the Ohlone 50K Wilderness Run has now partnered with MedicAlert Foundation to provide complimentary medical ID shoe tags, along with a one-year MedicAlert membership subscription, for each runner participating in this month’s race.

Race officials also sought the partnership with MedicAlert Foundation to further protect their runners during training efforts. “A lot of runners will train solo,” England states. “I run trails frequently alone during training runs. I think the MedicAlert shoe tag is even more important during training runs when fewer people are around.”

In the event of an emergency, MedicAlert Foundation provides important health information and personal/family contacts to ensure quick/proper treatment and coordination with loved ones. “The decision by Ohlone officials underscores what so many runners have already learned,” said Andrew B. Wigglesworth, president & CEO of MedicAlert Foundation. “Anybody can experience an emergency and even conditioned athletes benefit from the 24/7 protection that MedicAlert Foundation’s medical IDs and emergency response services provide.”

About MedicAlert Foundation
Established in 1956, the nonprofit MedicAlert Foundation pioneered the use of medical IDs and delivers the most dependable, responsive and trusted Emergency Identification and Medical Information Network. MedicAlert provides the functionality of an e-health information exchange through an innovative combination of a unique patient identifier linked to a personal health record and a live 24/7 U.S.-based emergency response service. MedicAlert Foundation International medical IDs alert emergency personnel to a member’s primary health conditions, medications or implanted medical devices. In addition to its 24-hour emergency response service, MedicAlert Foundation International also provides family and caregiver notification so that members can be reunited with their loved ones. For more information on MedicAlert Foundation, please visit http://www.medicalert.org.